OSHITSUBUSU: Crushing Attack, introducing Bakuryu
by Treager
Summary: Sanosuke confronts an unknown enemy from the past... really, he has NO idea who he is!!!


**__**

OSHITSUBUSU!!!

CRUSHING ATTACK!!!

The meeting of Bakuryu Shinomura

_ By Treager-sama_

"You have 5 minutes left... you hear me Sagara!? 5 minutes!"

Sano's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he turned from the torn paper of the window.

"I knew I never should have listened to Kenshin... I'm beginning to think that Hiko was right about him"

He couldn't help but let a thin lipped smile creep upon his face. Sanosuke quickly looked around the broken down old shack for anything useful. 

"Not much here but a buncha old junk..."

Suddenly something caught his eye and he made his way to a dark corner.

...

"What do you suppose he's doing in there Bakuryu?"

A small robust man with grossly sagging features made his way to the front line. Trying to look as authroritative and superior as he possibly could despite his flabby pink flesh peeking out of his ill fitting armor, he croaked his question again.

"Bakuryu, are you listening to me... don't you realize..."

Suddenly the back of a fist slammed into the mans jowels that sent him flying backward. laughter could be heard scattered throughout the soldiers amassed around the two men. Bakuryu spoke softly without turning, keeping his gaze fixed upon the small hut where he had cornered his prey.

"Hashi, please remain silent... your foul air brings tears to my eyes"

Hashi stayed silent, because Hashi was unconcious.

"Someone please turn him over so he doesn't choke on his teeth. We wouldn't want to put our dear Hashi in harms way." 

His gaze became steeled upon the small shack, awaiting the moment that Sanosuke would make his move. Bakuryu knew that he would never give up so easily, after all... he was chasing after the legendary Zanza. Zanza, now brandishing the name Sanosuke Sagara, former member of the Sekihotai. He knew his prey well, for he should. This man was singlehandedly responsible for the destruction of his family's honor.

For some The Meji era brought more pain than the revolution. For bakuryu, and his dead family, it meant isolation and exile at the hand of a man he saw for only 3 minutes. 

"It's been about 2 years now... since you robbed my family of their lives, and their honor."

Bakuryu thought bitterly.

"I have hunted you for 2 long years Zanza... and I will have my vengence."

He motioned to his small army of mercinaries and thugs behind him. 

"Prepare to fire on my mark!"

Twenty men with short bows ignited their petrolium soaked arrowheads, and readied to loose them on command. The powerful man tensed the thick muscular body beneath his cloak and prepared to give the order.

"Zanza, formerly of the Sekihotai... your time is up. We have you cornered, there is nowhere to run"

Nothing could be heard, even on this warm summer night the crickets were silenced.

...

"This is all Kenshin's fault! Why wouldn't he just LOAN me the money to pray at the temple!? If he would have, I would have had the luck to WIN, and I wouldn't be in this mess!"

Sano grabbed the stack of woven bamboo mats he found in the corner and hefted them above his head.

"Now Kenshin owes me alot of money for making me lose like that..."

He smirked as he fashioned the mats into a makeshift shield.

"...But I suppose I shouldn't have gotten so carried away and hit that rich guy so hard. That will teach Hashi to hussle me like that"

His smile widened as he prepared himself to leap out the door...

...

"Ugh... what happened...?"

Hashi rubbed his twice battered face and grimmaced at the swollen flesh. He looked up at Bakuryu and shot him a glance of anger and pain.

"First Sagara, now YOU!?! How DARE you lay a hand upon me! I hired you to help me kill Sagara... do you know who I AM!?"

Bakuryu turned for a moment to regard the disgusting little man with a calm but deadly gaze.

"The only purpose you served was to provide my men with supplies and equipment... but you have outlived your usefulness. This is where we part ways Hashi."

The giant of a man reached down and lifted the squirming little slug of a man up by his head with one hand. With a slight shudder he began to squeeze...

"Oh gods NOOOOOOOOOOO!! AAAAAACK..."

With that Bakuryu grinned as Hashi's cranium cracked and split like an eggshell in his hand.

"FIRE!!"

...

Sanosuke heard a bloodcurdling screech and then a sound like wood splitting. He raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Well, that can't be good..."

Suddenly several flaming arrows erupt into the small home and immidiately start small fires everywhere.

"No time like the present I suppose! ARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH!"

Sano runs headlong through the door and makes a break for the woods adjacent to the small army attacking him.

"I've only got one shot at this, I had better make it good!"

Deflecting incoming arrows with the thick layer of bamboo mats lashed to his arm, he soon realizes that they won't last long with the flames consuming them so quickly. An arrow just whizzed by his face as he narrowly dodges it.

"I'm not going to last long like this!"

A booming voice echoes through the clearing.

"DIE ZANZA, DIE!!!"

Sano reaches the treeline just as an arrow peirces through the burned mats, and deep into his left forearm. Sensing his end was near, he turned and mustering all his strength he made a desperate punch for the trunk of a very tall tree.

"I sure hope this isn't my LAST Futainokiwami!"

A rain of splinters and bark showered Sanosuke as his fist penetrated the trunk, deep into the heartwood. It cracked and began to fall toward the now scattering army. Fires erupted among the fallen branches, as more trees began to burst into flame. As chaos began to overtake the field, two men stood perfectly calm, gazing at one another, knowing that this was far from over. With intense burning eyes, Bakuryu clutched the trunk of the flaming tree and tore it asunder, scattering the flames further. Sanosuke clutched his left arm and stood silently, waiting for his opponent to draw near.

"Thats a mighty impressive little trick buddy... although I don't remember you before"

Bakuryu grew furious and lunged at the Sano with all his strength clutching at him with his deadly hands.

"I am Bakuryu Shinomura, and you should remember me well you bastard!"

His hands closed around Sano's wrists and he growled in pleasure as he began to squeeze.

"You destroyed my family, my honor, MY LIFE! Now I will destroy YOURS!"

Sano just stood there and shook his head with an impish grin.

"Look buddy, I still don't know who you are, but your starting to piss me off..."

Bakuryu stared in amazement as his Oshitsubusu attack seemingly has no effect on the young man before him.

"Your bones should be DUST by now Zanza! How is it that you can withstand my attack!?"

A cold sweat begins to pour down Bakuryu's face as he begins to exceed his limits of force.

"Really, it's nothing special..."

Sano's grin widened further as he reversed the attack in one deft move. He thrusts the palm of his right hand into Bakuryu's abdomen, rendering him breathless.

"I won't... die here... you demon..."

He sputters between forced breaths, his hands clutching feebly at Sano's gi.

"Weeeeell now, demon you say? Your full of compliments today, aren'tcha?"

Sano bends down to get a closer look at his attacker and mutters softly,

"I don't want to kill ya. You jumped me, remember? So tell me... why are you so pissed off at me anyway?"

A warm rain begins to fall, putting out the various fires that were once raging all around them.

...

"Two years ago, you had a run in with a man named Takada Shinomura. He made spectacular blades during the revolution. He was well known for his many swords and the fine cutting edge for which they were famed. He passed that knowledge on to his son, but too late it seemed. The revolution had ended, and the Meji era had begun. Takada and his son had to move underground and sell the swords illegally to provide a life for their family... but because of you and what you did that day... my family was forced into exhile and were slain by bandits!"

Sanosuke looked puzzled and shook his head, which now bore a deep blush.

"I am sorry buddy, but it still doesn't ring a bell"

Bakuryu began to rave uncontrollably.

"You came into town that day, waving your damned sword around and the meji government officials took notice and began to route out all the weaponsmiths! My family were cast to the wolves because of you Zanza!!! YOU!"

Sano raised an eyebrow and sweatdropped with a frustrated look in his face.

"Sooooo, basically what your telling me is that because I walked through town one day, suddenly it's my fault your family got killed."

"YEEESSS!!! And I swore revenge against you! You who destroyed my life!"

Sanosuke shakes his head and rips the arrow out of his arm with a pained look and flicks it with enough force to drive it into the fallen tree trunk.

"Consider this a warning buddy... your getting off light today. At least SOMEBODY prayed at the temple today, lucky bastard."

He then turns his back to leave, clutching his bleeding left arm.

"You wont get away from me Zanza! I will have my revenge!!! I SWEAR IT!!!"

Sano shakes his head grinning, and looks at him over his shoulder, his bright red headband whipping in the wind, the moonlight gleaming in his cool eyes.

"Take a number buddy, take a damn number..."


End file.
